Ireland becomes first country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote

Irish voters overwhelmingly said "yes" to same-sex marriage on Saturday, with 62.1 percent in support of amending the constitution to legalize gay marriage, The Associated Press reports.

The results make Ireland the first nation in the world to legalize gay marriage with a popular vote. John Lyons, one of just four openly gay members of the country's 166-member parliament, credited young voters with shifting Ireland's historically conservative constitution in a more liberal direction.

"This says something about modern Ireland," Lyons said. "Let's never underestimate the electorate or what they think."

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